Devoid
by stefanie-k
Summary: There are events in our lives that change our outlook on life, love, and the future. Kyoya/Haruhi-centric, but also some Tamaki/Haruhi in later chapters. WIP. AUTHOR'S NOTE -- PLEASE READ.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Nothing's mine. I just like to borrow the characters to fulfill my own poor, little delusional fantasies. ;)

**Rating:** T for now… I'll probably change it to M later.

**A/N:** This is my first Ouran fic, so be nice! Reviews are always welcome but please, no flames—constructive criticism only. Also, I did a little bit of research on Japanese funerals… so if I got anything wrong, let me know!

**Devoid**

**Chapter 1**

The rain fell hard that day, yet she stood there with nothing protecting her from the elements. The black dress-suit she wore was getting soaked, but she couldn't feel the wetness on her skin, nor the cold wind blowing against her body. She couldn't feel anything. She couldn't cry, or smile, or laugh… she was emotionless. Her body was numb. She couldn't move—she could only watch as the rain hit the small grave that she hadn't been to in ages.

The small amount of people that stood around her were faceless. After the service, one would occasionally come up to her and pat her back, grip her shoulder, or give her a sympathetic hug. She reciprocated nothing. She stood there like a lifeless doll, as one by one each person paid their respects to her and the ashes that were now in the ground.

All she could do was stare at the characters carved on the tiny monument (if you could even call it that). The concept of time didn't matter to her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her. The flowers that were left in front of the grave were already starting to wither from the pelting rain. She couldn't believe that this was happening.

Flashes from four days ago replayed in her memory like it was just yesterday.

* * *

_It was a rainy night, and Haruhi sat in her small two bedroom apartment that she called home._

_She was studying for final exams at the University. Since graduating from Ouran Academy, she had been accepted to one of the most prestigious Universities in Japan—with a hefty scholarship that fully paid for her tuition and books. She was now finishing up her second year at the University and getting ready to apply to law school._

_It looked like her life was finally taking a step in the right direction._

_The books scattered across her living room floor showed just how hard she was studying these days. _

_Besides deciding to take the accelerated program (she would be graduating next year) at the University, she also held down a part-time job at a small café close to her home. The money she earned from that job she would keep in little savings account, getting ready for her departure from the home she shared with her father and into her own place for law school._

_She was happy. She was content._

_And then there was a knock on her door._

_She opened it to reveal two police officers standing there._

"_Miss Fujioka," one of them greeted, his voice sounding low and official._

"_May we come in?" the other asked._

_Haruhi nodded and led them into the small, book-scattered living room. She quickly started stacking the books to make the place look presentable._

"_Miss Fujioka… it's not necessary for you to do that. We just have some news… you may want to sit down."_

_She looked up at the officer who spoke. Her heart felt like it was about to drop to her stomach. No one ever said those words when there was anything but bad news._

_So she sat down._

_The officers had taken off their hats._

"_We are sorry to inform you that your father was in an accident."_

_And her heart dropped to her stomach._

"_Is he…?"_

"_He was walking home from his place of employment. A car lost control in the rain and skidded off the road, hitting him and pinning him to a telephone pole. He was dead on impact."_

_Now she felt sick._

"_Th-thank you," she told the officers._

_They stood there for a few seconds, observing her reaction. Then they both nodded and took their leave._

_When the door shut behind them, Haruhi ran into the bathroom and became ill._

* * *

She stood there in the rain, replaying the scene in her head over and over again.

She hadn't shed a tear since everything started. She worked like a robot getting all the preparations done for the funeral and memorial service.

Her father looked after her, even in death. He had taken out a 200,000 yen life insurance policy in the event of his untimely death. It not only helped pay for his funeral, it would also spare her a few more months in their apartment. But that was it. She still had one more year at the University. She would have to dig into her savings to make up the difference for living expenses, and that would leave her with… not enough for law school.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt completely alone.

A hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts.

When she turned to see who it was, it was the last person she thought she'd ever see.

Standing there was Kyoya Ootori. Dressed in a black suit and holding an umbrella over himself, his face was expressionless as he said, "Haruhi, you're all wet. Let's get you someplace dry."

She didn't even bother fighting with him as he slipped his jacket over her shoulders and led her into a black limousine parked nearby. As she slid herself inside, he took the seat next to her. Haruhi purposefully kept her gaze away from his. She already had an idea about his presence at her father's funeral.

After a long, uncomfortable silence she said, "I know why you're here, Kyoya-senpai. You needn't worry about me not finishing University next year. You can let your father know that his compay made no mistake in giving me that scholarship."

She never moved her eyes from boring a hole into the floor of the limousine.

"I came to pay my respects to your father, Haruhi," he explained to her in his usual cool and calm demeanor. "Naturally, my father was worried when he found out you had your finals extended to a later date. When he found out _why_, he sent me here to pay my respects, and—for the lack of a better phrase, check up on you."

"I'm fine," she told him, her head still drooping down.

"I would have come anyway, you know," he said in response, his voice becoming just a little softer. Then he added, "If you would have told me yourself."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

**A/N:** Here's chapter two, from Kyoya's perspective. Remember, reviews are always welcome!

**Devoid**

**Chapter 2**

The eyes that looked up at him were empty. The twinkle of hope he saw in her eyes years ago just wasn't there anymore. No doubt that the events of the past few days had a part in that. Her father's passing must have taken much more out of her than she was showing.

"We haven't seen each other, let alone _talk_ to each other since your graduation three years ago," she replied. "I didn't think you'd really _care_ what was going on in my life."

She sounded so empty saying those words, yet he could detect a little annoyance as well. Kyoya couldn't help but feel pity for Haruhi, but he was also surprised that she was able to hide her actual feelings so well. He supposed it was normal though, after what she'd been through.

"Despite what you may think, we were all good friends in high school. Just because we all went our separate ways afterwards doesn't mean we wouldn't care. We did know Ranka too," he said to her. "I'm sure the rest of them would have showed up as well, if you would have let them know."

He was actually trying to sound consoling, but unfortunately it mustn't have come out that way. She showed a small pained expression for just a moment, but then it was veiled over again. He expected an insulting quip of some sort to come out of her mouth, but one never did. She just turned her gaze back to the floor of the car.

Kyoya took a moment to observe the girl sitting next to him.

Physically, she wasn't the girl he remembered. First of all, her hair had grown a little. Yes, it was still short, but not boyishly so. If it wasn't dripping wet from the rain, he could imagine it was styled in a bob type of hairdo. The black dress suit she wore was soaked and it showed off her noticeably now-womanly figure. The clothing clung to her curves and her developed bosom. He admonished himself inwardly for staring.

He cleared his throat and said, "My father has made me aware of your current financial situation, Haruhi. He's asked me to relay an offer to you."

* * *

"_Kyoya, please meet me at my office. I have matters to discuss with you."_

_His father was never one to beat around the bush. He made sure to leave his own office right away, so not to keep his father waiting. As a matter of fact, he left as soon as he hung up the phone._

_Though he gained his father's respect after the stunt he pulled during the Ouran Fair, Yoshio Ootori was still not a man to mess with. At least his father let him go his own route with his life._

_After graduating Ouran Academy, he went on to study accounting, and unsurprisingly graduated at the top of his class at the University. Now he owned and ran his own accounting firm, though it still worked closely with Ootori Industries, only because of his shared surname. His father never meddled with him and his business—which meant that he was proud, and that he actually cared his son was doing well on his own._

_When he got to his father's office, his father urged him to sit down. He had a serious expression on his face._

"_Kyoya, son, how is business going?" he asked._

"_Father, we are two busy men. Can we please cut this small-talk and get to why you called me over here?"_

_His father cleared his throat. "Business as always. Now then, do you remember your friend in high school, Haruhi Fujioka?"_

_Kyoya hadn't heard that name for a very long time. So needless to say, he became just a bit intrigued and nodded in response to his father's question._

"_As you already know, the company has given her a full scholarship to the University. She is a highly motivated and high-ranking student. We're hoping to get our hands on her once she receives her certification as a lawyer."_

_This was all known information. Why was his father going off on this tangent?_

"_What is your point? You wouldn't have asked me here unless there was one," Kyoya told him lazily._

"_You see… we've received some information about her performance at the University. She had asked for an extension for her final exams. Upon investigation, we found out that due to the death of her father…"_

_Kyoya perked up at his father's last comment. Death of her father? Ranka was dead? What happened? And why was he finding out this way?_

"…_she asked for some time off," his father finished. "Now Kyoya, I think it would be in our best interests to go pay our respects. It's only fitting. And…"_

_And?_

"…_this is the perfect opportunity for you, my son."_

_He was confused at what his father was implying. Kyoya gave his father a questioning look._

"_I know that you've declined my proposal once before, but please, think about it this time. Miss Fujioka would be a good wife. With her smarts and her drive for success, she would be a valuable asset to our family. Yes, I realize that she is a commoner, but I am certain that she will be a success in the professional world," Yoshio Ootori explained with a serious glint in his eyes._

_Kyoya was speechless. He couldn't believe that after almost four years he was bringing this subject up again. And especially at a time like this!_

"_Father, that is the most deplorable idea I've heard…"_

_He held up a hand to keep him from finishing. "It's just an opportunity to take advantage of, Kyoya. I'm not ordering you to do so. Though this is not the only matter I wanted to discuss with you. About Fujioka, that is."_

"_What is it?"_

_His father continued with, "Through my investigation, I found out her financial situation is highly unstable after her father's untimely death. Her father had left her with a sufficient amount of money, through a life insurance policy, that was enough to pay for the funeral, yet not enough for her to live off of for the next year."_

_After knowing Haruhi for as long as he did, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the situation she was currently in._

"_I have a proposal to offer her. Since the company has been paying for her education, we also feel partially responsible for her welfare outside of school. It would not be in either of our best interests for her to be homeless," his father explained._

"_And where are you proposing she stay?"_

_His father smiled. "After much thought, I've decided to offer her our family's vacant guest house for the next year. She would have her privacy, of course. Upon graduation, she would then move out of course. That is… unless you decide to make her your wife."_

_Kyoya grimaced at his father's bluntness. He just wouldn't let it go._

"_Has she given you a positive answer yet?" Kyoya asked._

"_I haven't asked yet. That's the favor I wanted to ask of you."_

_His eyebrows raised to contemplate what his father was asking of him. He would be seeing Haruhi after three years of no communication whatsoever to offer her shelter at his family's guest house, after her father's death. It was a ridiculous idea, and there was no doubt Haruhi would turn down the offer. She was too proud to take it. That was Haruhi Fujioka , after all._

_Just as he was about to answer his father, his father held up his hand to keep him from talking._

"_It might sound like a little too much for her, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Again, I'm not going to order her into the guest house. If she feels she can live on her own, then so be it. But… I do think you should go pay your respects to her father. You did know him."_

_Kyoya knew his father was right. His eyes darted to the ground, knowing that he would be making a trip to see Haruhi Fujioka under the saddest of circumstances._

_Yoshio Ootori stood up, signaling the end of the meeting._

"_You should hurry to the cemetery, Kyoya. The memorial service started about an hour ago."_

* * *

He had made it to the cemetery by the end of the service. Not wanting to interrupt, he sat inside the limousine at a distance, watching through the window. He watched as the small group of people gathered around the small grave dispersed, until Haruhi was the only one left standing there. He continued to watch her as she stood there, getting soaked by the rain that was falling. He would let her have that time alone with her father, though she would have probably caught a cold had he not ushered her into his limousine.

Now there he was, about to relay to her his father's offer.

"Let me guess," Haruhi said bluntly, "your father knows about my financial situation, and he'd like to offer me a handout."

He could hear the touch of disgust in her tone. As depressed as she was, she still never missed a beat.

"It is of my father's wishes that you stay at our family's guest house for the remainder of your time at the University. I wouldn't call it a handout, Haruhi," Kyoya told her calmly. "This comes purely out of concern for your welfare. I doubt it would be in your best interests, as a scholarship student, to be left homeless."

She looked up at him again. This time, she looked a little taken aback by what he just said, yet the veil of sadness was still visible through her subtle expression.

"Kyoya-senpai, what makes you think I'd be homeless? I have a job, you know. What's left of my father's insurance policy will help take care of the next few months. Don't you dare talk to me like I'm some destitute little girl who can't take care of herself," she told him, expressing her bubbling anger as best she could. She continued to stare at him for a second, and then looked down again. "Just take me home."

With that, he signaled the driver to leave.

It was exactly what Kyoya expected her to say. Sometimes, the girl could be too proud for her own good.

When they pulled up to her apartment, they sat in silence for a moment.

"You should take this with you."

He handed her his umbrella. She took it hesitantly.

"Thank you. It was nice seeing you again, senpai," she said and reached for the door, but before she could step out, he grabbed her hand. "What…?"

He slipped her his business card as he said, "Think about it. Weigh the pros and cons, if you have to. Just give it some thought." Then he let go of her hand.

"Goodbye Kyoya-senpai," she said as she left the car.

He watched as she made her way to her small apartment that she used to share with her father. When she was inside and he saw a light turn on through a window, he signaled his driver to leave.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Nothing's mine, but of course you knew that already…

**A/N:** Thank you to those of you who put me and/or this story on your favorites list! It feels really good to know that my work is being read. *smiles*

So this chapter is mostly just drabble from Haruhi's POV. If it's boring, I apologize. I needed to stick her thoughts about Mr. Ootori's offer in somehow, as well as to progress the story in the direction that I want it to go in. This standalone chapter was my best option.

I'll be going on a short little hiatus at least through the weekend (busy, busy, busy!), so I'm not going to be working on this fic as much as I'd like to. Don't worry, I'll be back. Just don't expect an update until… next week sometime.

And… like I say every time, reviews are always gladly welcomed and very much appreciated!

**Devoid**

**Chapter 3**

As soon as Haruhi got into her apartment, she shut and leaned against the door. Kyoya Ootori was the last person she thought she'd see at her father's funeral. And the conversation she'd shared with him was certainly unexpected, considering the circumstances.

He was as cool, calm, and collected as always. She should have known that there was more than one reason why he was at her father's funeral. There was always more than one reason he did things. That was just Kyoya. It was a wonder that he even found out about it.

Then it dawned on her. Kyoya's father was probably the one pulling all the strings. What could Kyoya possibly gain from attending her father's funeral? Seeing her probably wasn't on the top of his list, if it even was on his list at all.

For starters, she hadn't seen him since his graduation from Ouran Academy. That was three years ago. He said his goodbyes to the Host Club and went on his way. Through various channels, she had heard about him heading up his own accounting firm. No doubt his name had much to do with his success.

This led her to think about why Yoshio Ootori was offering her what basically translated to room and board, just a step up. It was already amazing to her that she won the one and only scholarship his company was offering that year. She was grateful, but would it offend Mr. Ootori if she _didn't _accept his offer for room and board? There was definitely a hidden agenda there, but she just couldn't quite place her finger on what that was.

Haruhi straightened and flipped on a light. It was then that she noticed how horrendously messy the apartment was. Her school books were still scattered on the floor of the tiny living room. She hadn't bothered to clean up since… well, _since_. At least the kitchen wasn't a disaster, since eating hadn't been her main concern over the past few days.

She sighed to herself and decided it was time to clean. It would be a good way to get her mind off of everything for a little while. She went to her room to change out of her wet clothes and into something more appropriate for cleaning. Then she got to work.

The next few hours were spent cleaning every nook and cranny of the apartment. She dusted, swept, wiped down, and re-organized every single item in the apartment, down to the salt and pepper shakers. It kept her busy, all right. She didn't stop for a break, not even once.

The last room that was left was her father's. She stood at his closed door for a moment, a little hesitant to slide open the door. She hadn't seen his room since the morning of. She wasn't particularly sure she wanted to go in, but she would have to at some point or another. At some point she would have to do something with his personal belongings. At some point, she would have to face a flood of memories of her father.

Haruhi decided that this was a good a time as any. The sooner the better, she figured. She let out a long breath that she had been holding and slid the door open.

Her father's scent filled her nostrils instantly.

Her eyes scanned the room silently. The bed was made to perfection, his pajamas neatly folded atop. There were few articles of clothing strewn about—mostly clothes that her father was opting to wear to work that night. She felt her heart drop to her stomach again.

She slid the door shut before she could be sick to her stomach again. Maybe now wasn't the time to do this. Maybe waiting a few days would be for the best. She closed her eyes momentarily to get her bearings, and then she walked over to the coffee table and plopped herself down in front of it.

_Get a grip of yourself, Haruhi_, she scolded herself silently.

A few deep breaths later, she was staring at Kyoya's business card that was sitting on the coffee table. Of course, it had all the pertinent information on it—his business phone number and his fax number, and the address where his firm was located. She couldn't ignore the little mental nudge to turn over the card. What she found written there really didn't surprise her too much.

_Think about it._

Underneath his neat handwriting was another phone number, which Haruhi assumed was his cell.

Normally, she would have torn up the card and thrown it in the garbage. Instead, she grabbed a notebook from the pile of school books sitting next to the coffee table. She turned to a blank page and started scrawling numbers on it.

She wrote down the balance in her savings account, the remaining balance to her father's checking account, and what was left of his insurance policy. She added the numbers up. It came out to a pretty hefty figure. Then she did some calculations for the pay she would receive from her part-time job for the next year. The final amount came out to be adequate, and she added that to the last sum. Next, she multiplied the monthly rent by twelve, considering she would be staying there for at least that much longer. That produced another hefty figure, which she subtracted from the previous running total. Finally she subtracted an amount adequate enough for other living expenses through the year, and came up with… a negative number.

"Crap…" she mumbled to herself as she looked over her calculations one more time. They were definitely accurate. Well, as accurate as she could estimate.

Financially speaking, she was in the hole. Sure, she would be able to live comfortably for the first couple, maybe even few, months. It would only be a matter of time that she would be scrounging for money though, and thinking about how she would be able to get herself through law school after this year was making her stomach do flip flops again.

She contemplated giving Kyoya a call right then and there, but she realized she couldn't—not until she exhausted every one of her options. She would be returning to work in a week. She realized that she would have been at her job for two years in a few weeks. Maybe she could ask her manager about giving her a raise a little before her two year anniversary? She could also pick up some extra hours since it was the summer, and she'd only be taking two summer courses at the University.

Another thought sprung to mind—she could always move to a smaller, one bedroom apartment of her own. Surely that would cut down on rent, though she would have to take some time out of her days to go apartment shopping. She would even need to take a couple of days off to move herself in.

Haruhi scribbled in her notebook furiously, calculating every single option that came to mind. She found very little places where she could actually save money, and most of her calculations were more speculation rather than hard facts. She did manage to get the final calculation from a negative number to a positive one, which was a good thing, but it wasn't enough. Even though she would still be working through law school, she would still need a significant amount of money to, well, _live_.

She started to feel defeat on her end. With a hesitant hand, she flipped to another empty page in her notebook and drew a line down the middle, creating two columns. One column she labeled "Pros" and the other she labeled "Cons." Then she started scribbling away again.

About an hour later she stopped writing and looked over her work. The list of Pros definitely outweighed the list of Cons. The "Pros" column had a multitude of reasons why living there would make her better off. Among those being, "no financial problems," "free room and board," and "privacy." There were only two things listed under the "Cons" column. One was, "living on the Ootori family grounds," and the other being, "alternate motive for Yoshio Ootori" with three big question marks following it.

Her eyes found their way back to Kyoya's business card. She picked it up and stared at his number for a few seconds. She even contemplated dialing it now, but the small amount of pride she had left in her kept her from doing so. She decided to wait.

She would study and take her final exams, while returning to her part-time job in the meantime. That took priority in her life right now. She could accept the offer whenever she decided she needed to, and that was that.

On that thought, she set down the business card and stood up, making her way to her bedroom for some much needed sleep.

* * *

Haruhi didn't realize that it had been two weeks since her father's funeral. She was so busy that time flew by like it was nothing.

She spent the extra two weeks of free time studying for her finals, which were graciously extended to her. Her manager at work let her take as much time off as she needed, but she only took off what she needed to handle all the funeral arrangements. So she was back to work in less than a week. It really did help keep her mind off of everything, and she even picked up a few extra hours as a result.

It was a nice, spring evening so she didn't mind walking home. Besides, it saved her some money by not taking a cab.

Now that she was done taking her final exams, she had the time to spend relaxing and enjoying herself, though she mostly spent it thinking. Sometimes her mind would drift off somewhere while she was at work, and someone would have to tug on her shirt to bring her back to the world.

When she finally made it back home, she threw her keys on the counter and headed towards her bedroom to change. She shot a glance and the door next to hers before entering her own. She hadn't tried going into her father's room again since the day of his funeral.

So instead of going through her door, she stood in front of her father's instead. She slowly slid open the door. The room smelled a little musty, no doubt from the closed door and everything that hadn't been moved in two weeks. Unfortunately, there was now a thin layer of dust everywhere. She took a deep breath and stepped through the threshold.

The breath she exhaled caught in her throat. For the first time in a long time, she felt tears welling up in her eyes and a sob threatening to escape her throat. Now, for the first time since her father's death, her emotions were catching up with her—all because she had to clean out his room. She ended up crumpling to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.

If something like this was going to happen every time she opened her father's bedroom door, she would never be able to clean it out. She stood up slowly, wiping the few tears that fell from her eyes and made her way back into the living room. She noticed her notebook sitting on the coffee table, still opened to the "Pros" and "Cons" list she had made two weeks ago.

Picking up a nearby pencil, she wrote down under the "Pros" column, "not having to see my father's room every day."

Her gaze went to the business card placed nearby. She picked it up and grabbed the phone. Her had shook a little as she dialed the numbers, and when she put the phone to her ear she hoped that no one would answer.

"Hello?" Kyoya's voice sounded on the other end.

Sounding and feeling defeated, Haruhi said, "Kyoya-senpai, it's Haruhi. Before you say anything, I just wanted to tell you that I've made a decision. I'm going to take your father's proposal."

There was a moment of silence from his end. She was almost thinking that he was actually surprised at her answer, and maybe at a loss for words. Then he said, "I'm taking you thought this through completely, and that's why you've contacted me later rather than sooner?"

_Typical Kyoya_, Haruhi thought to herself. "Yes. I think staying at your family's guest house would be good for me, and it would help ease my financial worries for the next year," she told him flatly and honestly, though she left out the part about not having to see her father's room every day.

"Ah, I see…" he replied a bit quizzically. "I'll let my father know. Will you be ready to move in by the end of the week?"

Haruhi gave some thought to her answer. Of course, she _could_ be packed and ready to go by then, but would she be able to have her father's room packed up as well? Today was Tuesday, so she would have to find the courage to do it before the end of the week.

"I… _should_," she answered a little unsurely.

"Then I'll have the movers come by on Saturday morning. Is that fine by you?"

"Yes… yes. That would be good," she said to him, finally conceding defeat to herself.

"Good. Then, I'll… see you," Kyoya said, seeming to stumble over his last words. It was the first time Haruhi ever heard him do that.

"Bye, senpai," she said a little absently and hung up, still thinking over his little stumble in speech.

She shrugged it off quickly as she set the phone down on the coffee table, her thoughts returning to her father's room. She stood up and decided to try again. She could at least try to clean up the few clothes that cluttered the room.

Again, her emotions started flooding back to her as she entered the room, but this time she was able to hold back her tears. She made it over to his bed and sat down. The sheets rumpled up around her. Almost instantly, a memory from when her mother died came into her mind.

* * *

_A sleepy Haruhi walked into her father's room one night. She stood at the door, holding a teddy bear and rubbing her eyes._

"_Yes, Haruhi, darling?" her father asked as he sat up in his own bed._

"_I miss Mommy," was all she said._

_A pained look quickly crossed Ranka's face. Then it softened and he gestured for his daughter to come sit next to him._

_When Haruhi was comfortably snuggled next to her father, he told her, "I miss Mommy too, my dear, sweet child. I miss her too."_

_Ranka kissed his daughter's forehead and just held her._

_Eventually, they fell asleep._

* * *

Haruhi curled up in her father's bed, and she finally let the tears come out. She lay there, curled up in a little ball, and cried like a little child. She cried like she should have cried after her mother died. She let every ounce of feeling she had left bottled up inside her out.

The memory of her father made her wish someone was there to hold her this time around, but there wasn't.

She was alone.

And eventually, she fell asleep.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** N-n-n-nothing! These wonderful characters belong to Bisco Hatori, and I am grateful that they were created or else this story wouldn't be possible.

**A/N:** Sorry for the little wait. I hate it when actual life takes over! Haha.

To those wondering where Tamaki is: He'll be in the story soon enough! The way I've outlined this story, he should be making his appearance in Chapter 6. I've just got a few more Kyoya/Haruhi interactions that need to take place so… yeah.

So anyway, here's Chapter 3, I hope you guys enjoy it! Just a warning to those of you following this story: I will be changing the rating to "M" once I post Chapter 5. Be forewarned! And thanks for the few reviews I did receive, and remember, they are always, always greatly appreciated! They help me get chapters out quicker. *wink, wink*

* * *

**Devoid**

**Chapter 4**

Saturday afternoon.

Haruhi was packing up the last of her things into boxes. The moving company that Kyoya hired were coming in about an hour. It was about that time to make sure the apartment was completely cleaned out—all pictures and décor taken off the walls, nothing left in cabinets and drawers, and no food left in the fridge.

It had been quite a busy week for Haruhi. She had gotten back to her normal schedule at work and school, even though her school workload was much, much lighter, since she was only taking two summer courses. Ever since she had taken Mr. Ootori up on his offer, she had also been busy cleaning and packing up the apartment, whenever she had free time.

After unloading a good cry and falling asleep on her father's bed nights before, she finally mustered up the courage to clean it out. She neatly packed all his clothing into boxes, which she then donated to a nearby shelter. While she was cleaning out the closet in her father's room, not only did she find her mother's box of Zuka Club memorabilia (which made her laugh hysterically for a good while), but also a rather large box stuffed all the way in the back.

When she opened the box, she was struck speechless (if she had anything to say, of course). Inside was her mother's wedding gown. It hadn't been preserved properly, so it had been tinted subtle yellowish color due to time. Haruhi carefully lifted it out of the box and did what any girl would do—she went to the mirror and held it in front of her, imagining how her mother looked on her wedding day.

It was a beautiful wedding dress. Simple, yet beautiful. The train wasn't extravagantly long, and there were no intricate designs or frills littering the dress. It was probably as simple as you could go. Haruhi wondered, as she gazed in the mirror in front of her, if her father meant to give the dress to her if she were to get married. She decided to keep the dress, no matter what her father's intentions were.

Knowing that she was moving into a house that was already furnished, Haruhi decided to rent out a storage space for the furniture that was at the apartment. She would keep it there until she got her own place, after she graduated from University. The only piece of furniture she would be taking into the Ootori guest house would be the short, little armoire that held the small memorial to her mother, and now her father as well.

There was a knock on her door as she was sealing up her last box. Haruhi assumed it was the movers, so she hurried to answer the door.

To her surprise, it wasn't. Kyoya stood at her door, with his normal stoic, unreadable expression on his face.

"Kyoya-senpai… What are you doing here?" she asked, honestly surprised.

"My father asked me to come and pick you up, since you don't have any other way to get to the house," he explained, the sun glinting off of his glasses.

He _was_ right. She didn't own a car, and she usually walked or took public transportation to get anywhere she needed to go. For today, she assumed that she would get a ride in one of the moving vans. Now knowing that Kyoya hadn't come of his own accord, she was a little peeved.

"Thanks for the concern, but I think I can get there myself," she said with disdain in her voice. She turned and walked back into the apartment, leaving Kyoya standing at the threshold.

"You can be so stubborn sometimes, Fujioka," he said with a sigh. He continued to stand at the door with his hands shoved in his pockets. "You'll need me to get into the estate, Haruhi. Even though security had been notified of your arrival, you will still need me to get past them, and to let the movers in."

She hated it when he painted her into the corner. It always made her feel uncomfortable, like he was a cat and she was a mouse.

"Well then, Haruhi, will you be accompanying me?"

With a sigh of defeat, an emotion she was getting to know all too well when it came to Kyoya, she told him, "Fine, but we're going to the storage space I rented out first. I want to make sure the movers get everything in with no problems."

He nodded once in agreement.

"So, senpai, are you going to stand there the whole time we're waiting for the movers to get here?" Haruhi asked, her back still turned to him. Once her emotions calmed down a bit, she turned to him and gave him an earnest smile as she said, "I'd offer you some tea, but I packed it all up yesterday."

A bit taken back by her sudden change in mood, he took a step inside. He walked up next to where Haruhi was leaning against a kitchen counter, and leaned against it as well, his arms folding across his chest.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Haruhi said, "I never imagined that I would be moving out of here under these circumstances."

Kyoya looked at her.

"I always thought my father would be here to send me off or something, saying that I'd always have a place to come home to," she continued as she stared off into space. She shook her head gently and looked at Kyoya. Then she said, "I know I don't seem all that grateful for this, but I am… and honestly, I'm glad it was you who came by to give me this chance."

Kyoya wasn't quite sure how he should react to this, so he just gave her a little smirk and asked, "Were you expecting someone else?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Your father could have easily sent one of his lackeys to present this offer instead of bothering you. He could have also asked someone else to come pick me up today. Don't get me wrong, Kyoya-senpai, I know you've been done with your father pulling your strings for quite some time now, but I'm glad _you_ chose to do it," she told him.

He was always impressed with her intuition. She could always see things no one else could see. It was never a guess—it was always a matter-of-fact statement with her. So he responded with, "You're right. My father doesn't pull my strings anymore. But don't get _me_ wrong, Haruhi, I _chose_ to see you because I knew you and your father well. It wouldn't be right if I didn't pay my respects to him… And as far as this arrangement with my father, it was just a coincidence. Though, I would have never found out about Ranka-san's death had it not _been_ for my father."

"Hm," she sounded as she looked back off into space. "I guess that there's no equivalent exchange here, then. That surprises me, though, Senpai. You were always one to do something with the expectation of gaining something in return. I doubt you'd have changed your point of view, even in the past few years."

She knew what she said was spot-on, considering the silence that followed.

It was always like a dance when they conversed. When she would pose a question to him, his answer would be honest, but indirectly so, like there was _that much_ more to his answer than meets the eye. Her response to that answer would almost always be an intuitive statement, or truth, that he would never refute. He would just give her a smirk, turn his attention to something other than her, or pose an unanswerable question and that would be the end of their conversation.

"You are absolutely correct, Haruhi," he told her after that moment of silence. "I haven't changed, but is it wrong for me to show sympathy over the death of someone I knew? Is it wrong for me to show concern for an old friend? Had you told me yourself that your father had passed, I would have been there anyway, regardless of my father's wishes."

Before Haruhi could think about a response to that, there was another knock on her door.

"Must be the movers," she mumbled as she walked over to the door and let them in.

It didn't take long for the movers to pack up her things. Before Haruhi knew it, they were ready to be on their way. She said a silent goodbye to the empty apartment before she closed and locked the door behind her for the last time. Then she made her way to the apartment complex's administrative offices to drop off her key. It felt weird not to have the key on her keychain anymore.

She paused a moment before she stepped into Kyoya's car, and took in her surroundings. This would be the last time she'd be here. It was like a chapter in her life was closing, and she was about to open to a new one.

"Haruhi? Let's go," Kyoya said from the driver's seat.

She nodded and ducked into the car. She looked out the window as they drove off, the small apartment complex that she grew up in getting smaller, until it disappeared into the distance.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to Bisco Hatori. I just like to play with all the characters.

**A/N:** Okay, so I lied. No rating change. When I originally wrote this chapter, it was about 11 pages long. After reviewing it, I decided to break it up into two separate chapters. It just made sense that way, and it cut down on an unnecessarily long chapter.

SO, Tamaki won't be making his appearance until Chapter 7. And as for why I'm making a rating change on the next chapter… well, the smut bunny's been knocking (_banging_ is more like it) on my door for quite some time now. I figure it's about time for me to answer it. For those readers who may be turned off by gratuitous smut, DON'T WORRY! I've toned down any such scenes for , and will post any and all uncut gratuitous smut scenes to my LiveJournal (I'll post the link as soon as the next chapter is up).

Thanks for all the great reviews! Keep them coming!

**

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**

Devoid

**Chapter 5**

The drive to the Ootori estate was a silent one. Haruhi kept her gaze steadily out the window, while Kyoya kept his eyes on the road. It didn't seem like either one of them wanted to continue the conversation they were having earlier, which was a relief to both of them.

Haruhi knew that the Ootori's were rich, but she didn't know to what extent.

When they pulled up to the gate of the estate, there was a security booth with a guard sitting in it. Obviously, security was a main concern for them. They did own their own private police force after all.

Kyoya briefly explained the situation to the guard while they were stopped.

The guard looked over to Haruhi and said, "It's nice to have you, Miss Fujioka. Now, if you'll just sign this and give me your identification for a moment," he handed over a clipboard, "we'll be all set and there will be no problems getting you on and off the premises from now on."

She signed the clipboard quickly and handed it back with her identification. Security really wasn't a joke around here. At least her safety wouldn't be a concern while she stayed here. After another minute or so the guard handed her back her ID.

"Will you be staying tonight, Mr. Ootori?" he asked Kyoya.

"No," he answered and then rolled up his window. Then he started driving down the ridiculously long "driveway" which led to the estate.

There were no words to describe the sights she was seeing. To the right was a large flower garden. There were cherry blossoms planted everywhere, and various flowers such as lilacs, lilies, and roses. She rolled down her window to get a better view and the scent of honeysuckle filled her nostrils. As they passed the garden, she noticed what looked to be a glass building to her left. As they got closer, she noticed a swimming pool inside of it.

"It's a gym," Kyoya explained, finally initiating the first conversation they'd had since her apartment. "The pool is heated, of course. It's actually quite refreshing in the middle of winter. The part of the building you can't see from the outside houses equipment such as exercise machines and weights. Of course, you'll be able to use it, since you'll be living here. The main house is coming up to your left."

She looked ahead of them and saw the largest mansion she'd ever seen in her life. It was a very modern-looking building. Like the gym, the front was basically a window, exhibiting a very large, very posh living area. She couldn't believe the sheer size of the house. Of course at one point, there were at least six people living there, but still. There was probably enough room for twelve. Haruhi couldn't wrap her brain around the idea of Kyoya living in a place like this.

"The servant's quarters are next door to the main house," he continued to explain. "It's good to know where they are… just in case you need anything. All the servants are quite pleasant. There is never anything they won't do."

Haruhi gave him a look that borderlined on disgust.

"Well, in any case, your house is coming up on the right," he pointed out, obviously taking note of her heated look.

She took her eyes off of him and glanced to her right. They were going over a small hill now, and right over the hill was a large house. House was the correct term for it, not like the mansion and building they had passed before. It was big—at least to her it was. It was a _huge_ step up from what she'd grown up in.

The house didn't really fit in with the modern look of the rest of the estate. If anything, compared to the rest of the place, it looked quaint, even dwarfed. The siding on the house was a pale yellow, and the windows were bordered by white shutters. From the front, the windows on the first floor had flower boxes hanging below them. The front porch wrapped around the front of the house and had two white wicker rocking chairs placed perfectly on either side of the front door. There was also a garage attached to the house that would unfortunately go unused.

It looked so out of place, she couldn't help but stare. She barely even noticed when Kyoya pulled into the driveway. The house was pretty, yes; there was no doubt that it was kept up well. It looked like the type of house a newlywed couple would have, complete with the groom carrying his new bride over the threshold image.

"This was my parents' first home," Kyoya said, interrupting her thoughts.

It was like he was reading her mind again. She hated when he did that.

"Before my father made his fortune, they lived here. My oldest brother was raised here until he was four. After my other brother was born, my father bought the land around this place and built everything we passed by. So they all moved into the mansion and decided to use this as their guest house," he continued to explain.

That was an interesting story to Haruhi-- sweet even. This house had to hold some sentimental value to his parents, since they kept it for so long.

"Are you ready to go inside?"

Haruhi nodded, opened the car door, and stepped outside. She couldn't help but notice the color of the sky as they made their way to the front door. Clouds were starting to overcast the sunny afternoon, and there was a slight breeze blowing through the air. It looked like there might be a storm coming. Haruhi shivered a bit, hoping that it would only be rain.

"I think it's sweet," Haruhi finally said, taking her mind off the impending weather. When Kyoya gave her a questioning look, she explained herself by saying, "They kept this house, even though they could have demolished it when they built this place. It must be pretty dear to them. So I think it's sweet."

Kyoya gave her a little smirk. "I don't know if there's really a reason why they kept this place, but it does make a nice guest house, don't you think?" He inserted the key into the lock and opened the door.

The inside of the house didn't surprise Haruhi one bit. It kind of looked like a model home inside. The furniture matched the décor perfectly. Everything was clean and spotless. There had to be maids cleaning the house considering the cleanliness, and the fact that there were fresh flowers adorning the coffee table in the living room.

"The master bedroom is upstairs, along with two other bedrooms. You can pick wherever you'd like to sleep. Everything else is pretty self-explanatory. You can poke around after I leave," he explained to Haruhi. He handed her the key to the house. Then he said, "This is yours now. If you need anything, every phone in here has a direct line to the servants' quarters. Just dial 5, and they can give you whatever you need."

While Kyoya was talking, the movers had taken most of her boxes in. There really wasn't much left after their stop at the storage space-- only a few boxes of her clothes, books, pictures, and some doodads that she wanted to keep with her. The last item the movers hefted in was the small armoire that would hold her parents' memorial.

"Where would you like us to put this, Miss Fujioka?" one of the movers asked.

"Uh... you can just leave it here. I'll place it in my bedroom later," she told him, though she wasn't quite sure how she would get it up there by herself. "Thank you so much."

The mover nodded and he took his leave. When he was out the door, her attention went back to Kyoya. He stood there, hands in pockets, staring at her. Once the door closed, he said, "You know you're going to need more than just yourself to take that upstairs."

"I'm sure I can handle it," she told him and waved her hand, dismissing his comment.

There was an awkward silence for a minute, and then Kyoya said, "Well, I'll be seeing you then." He nodded his head once and started for the door.

Haruhi's hand was on the doorknob before he could do it himself. He gave her a look as she said, "Technically speaking, this is my house for the next year. It wouldn't be courteous of me to _not_ get the door for you." She turned the knob and opened the door. She gave him a smile and added, "Thanks, Kyoya-senpai. Good night."

She went to shut the door behind him as he walked out, but got distracted by the color of the sky. It had turned a bit darker from when she had seen it before. It was humid, and the breeze was picking up, just a little. It was definitely going to rain, but she still wasn't sure if it was going to storm. She shivered a little and went to close the door as she watched Kyoya make his way to his car.

To her surprise, just before he got to his car he turned around and said, "Better get inside. It looks like rain."

She smiled at him again and shut the door.

* * *

After knowing Haruhi Fujioka for as many years as he did, it should have occurred to him that she was deathly afraid of storms. Instead of thinking about it, he got in his car, backed out of the driveway, and headed for the front gate. The rain started falling as he made his way over the hill, hiding the guest house from his sight in the rearview mirror.

Halfway to the front gate, he saw lightning flash and the crack of thunder booming in the distance. That's what probably shifted his gears into motion. He put his car in park and thought for a moment.

_She's afraid of thunder_, he thought to himself, and being alone in a large house (larger than what she was used to at least) that was foreign to her probably didn't help the situation either.

He quickly turned the car around and sped back to the house. It only took him a couple of seconds to get back, but by then the thunder and lightning was becoming pretty steady-- a flash of light, and then a boom.

He hurried to the front door and contemplated knocking at first, but thinking about it more made him realize that there was no chance that Haruhi would actually answer the door. It was this situation that made him thankful to have a spare key to this house. He unlocked the front door and made his way inside.

The house was dark. The storm must have come so quickly that she had no time to turn on any lights. She was somewhere in this house, probably hiding. Where, he didn't know.

"Damnit," Kyoya mumbled to himself.

His first thought was to check upstairs, since it seemed that downstairs was empty. He didn't hear any whimpering or any sort of noises coming from there. So he made his way upstairs. He heard the faintest sound of shuffling coming from somewhere down the hall. He poked his head into the first bedroom-- nothing. Then the second bedroom-- nothing. His hand finally settled on the doorknob to the bathroom, where he heard shuffling and little whimpers.

Kyoya opened the door to find Haruhi huddled in a little ball, arms curled up around her knees, sitting in the bathtub.

"Haruhi?" His voice was a whisper, so he wouldn't scare her more than she already was.

She looked up at him from the tub. The look on her face showed unabashed fear. She was shaking a little, and he could swear he saw tears rimming her eyes. He wasn't sure what to do. She just looked at him with those big, lucid brown eyes that were _expecting_ him to do something. Yet, the only thing he could think to do was hold his hand out to her, hoping that she'd take it.

Her hand came up for a second, about to grab for his, when a crack of thunder shook the house. She immediately withdrew her hand and buried her head in her arms, attempting to muffle the noises coming from outside.

Kyoya sighed and let his hand drop down to his side. He was a little frustrated with the situation. For a brief moment he thought, _What did Tamaki and Hikaru do in this situation?_ Though that thought passed by rather quickly, because what he did next was very uncharacteristic of him.

He stepped into the tub and sat down, facing her. She apparently didn't notice that he got into the tub with her. He grabbed her hand, which took her by surprise, and pulled her towards him. It was a rushed movement, which made it feel a little awkward at first. Haruhi felt stiff against his chest, obviously surprised by his actions, but when another roll of thunder passed by she instinctively clung to him, grabbing his shirt in her hands. When the noise passed she relaxed against him, still a little shaky, anticipating the next boom of thunder.

He avoided saying anything, and just held her while she clung to him. Every time there was a flash of lightning and crash of thunder, she'd tighten her grip on him. It was the first time Kyoya had to comfort anyone, so he tried his best. Every time Haruhi clung to him, he tightened his arms around her small figure. Eventually and almost instinctively, his hand came up to caress the top of her head.

Kyoya didn't know how long they stayed like that, but he held her for as long at it took for the storm to pass. He felt Haruhi relax against his chest, her breathing becoming slow and steady. Strangely enough, he didn't feel like letting her go just yet. He actually felt comfortable with her in his arms, as the rain continued to fall outside. It felt almost natural as he continued to run his hand over her hair. Something felt _right._

Unwilling to confront the emotions running through him, he finally spoke.

"Haruhi," he said as gently as he could. "Are you better now?"

It took a moment for her to answer. She slowly pushed herself up to look at him, as he unwrapped his arms from her. The loss of contact sent a small chill through him. He placed his hands on her shoulders so he could steady her, and maybe to steady himself as well.

She nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine," she told him a little breathlessly.

So he stood up and offered his hand. He helped her out of the tub and they walked out into the hallway, where he flipped on the light.

"Thank you, senpai," she told him, after their eyes got used to the light.

What was he supposed to say to that? No problem? Don't mention it?

Probably noticing he was at a loss for words, she said, "You don't have to say anything. I'm just glad you came back." She gave him a much more honest smile and added, "How about some tea? It might take me a minute to find, but..."

"No need," he told her. "I have to be going anyway."

It was a lie, but the increasing awkwardness he was feeling made him want to go.

Haruhi gave him a quizzical look. She knew he was lying.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and caved in. "All right. I'll stay for a bit."

They made their way downstairs and into the kitchen, Kyoya flipping switches to turn on lights along the way. When they got into the kitchen, Kyoya took a seat at the table, while Haruhi started searching for a teapot and kettle to warm water. She opened cabinets and drawers, looking completely lost in the vast amount kitchen utensils and appliances.

"You know, I'm sure someone can bring over some tea if you pick up the phone," he said absently as he was eyeing her.

"Just because you're used to it, doesn't mean I am. It may sound foolish to you, but I prefer to do menial things like this on my own. Why have someone else do something you can do yourself?" she explained to him as she continued to search for what she needed. "Besides--"

She was interrupted by a couple pots and pans threatening to fall on top of her from the cabinet she was searching. She let out a small cry as the two pots came tumbling down. Luckily she moved out of the way quickly enough, and the loud crash of the pots hitting floor rang through the house. Haruhi blushed embarrassingly as she said, "Whoops."

Kyoya walked over to her to help pick up the pots. "Nothing's broken, so I think you're safe," he said, half joking. He picked them up off the floor and placed them easily back where they belonged. "I think we should skip the tea for now. How about some food instead? I'm sure we can order out."

Haruhi, looking thoroughly embarrassed and somewhat relieved at his alternate suggestion, nodded her head in agreement. Then she started laughing, producing a rather confused look from Kyoya. As her laughter died down a bit she said, "I was just wondering what would've happened if I _did_ break something."

This made Kyoya smile. Yes, a _real_ smile.

So they ordered pizza. Not from the main kitchen on the estate, but from a normal pizza shop that was located in the nearby town. It was partially an attempt for Kyoya to appease Haruhi's wishes to keep her normalcy. Any awkwardness Kyoya felt before seemed to melt away as they conversed over pizza and soda. It was the first time in a long time that he actually enjoyed himself in someone else's company.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** As much as I love them, all characters and such belong to Bisco Hatori.

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait! I decided that the second part of Chapter 5 (now Chapter 6) needed a re-work. Something just didn't flow right, so I deleted it and re-wrote the whole flippin' thing. Yes, I've changed the rating to "M" now, so prepare for some lemony goodness.

Sorry if Kyoya seems a bit OOC here... It was late, my brain was excruciatingly tired, and I just wanted this chapter finished. I know some of you were quite eager for this chapter too. ^_^

Yes, Tamaki makes his appearance in the next chapter. Patience is a virtue (because apparently my muse has left me for the time being... and I'm hoping that it's not permanent).

Now, on with the show! Remember, I really, really like and appreciate reviews! *hint, hint*

_What can I do to make you mine?_

_Falling so hard, so fast, this time_

_What did I say, what did you do?_

_How did I fall in love with you?_

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**Devoid**

**Chapter 6**

The summer ended as quickly as it began. It was time for the school year to start again. This would be the beginning of Haruhi's last year at the University, and she would be applying to law schools as well. With her perfect grades and her unyielding determination, Haruhi was sure that she would get into any school she applied to. She was sure of it. Besides, it was pretty much a given that she would be graduating at the topof her class.

Haruhi had enjoyed the summer at the Ootori estate. She was promised her privacy, and they upheld that promise. Haruhi loved taking walks around the flower garden, even picking some for bouquets to put in the house. No one ever bothered her, nor did she really even meet any of Kyoya's family. Either they were purposely keeping out of her way, or there was really never anyone home. She wanted to thank Yoshio Ootori herself for everything, but the man was never readily accessible.

Really, the only Ootori she talked to was Kyoya.

After the night she moved into the house, the night that Kyoya came back during the storm, she and Kyoya became... well, they got to know each other again. Haruhi wouldn't have defined them as _friends_ exactly, not then anyway. Besides, he had left only a few minutes after they finished eating, leaving her to do the cleanup, which wasn't much of a surprise to her. What did surprise her however, was that he showed up again about a week later. His excuse was that he wanted to "check up" on her, at his father's discretion. That may have been true, but the slight expression on his face told her otherwise. She wondered if he actually _wanted_ to come, and that was the perfect excuse to do so.

So he came over, and she served tea. They talked a little, mostly about arbitrary things-- work, school, etc, and then he left. It was an odd visit, but what was even odder was that he actually came by to "check up" on her again about another week later. The visits became more frequent throughout the summer, from once a week to twice a week, and even three times a week. By the end of the summer, Haruhi began to classify Kyoya as a "friend" again.

She enjoyed herself with Kyoya. He didn't seem to have the air of coldness he had in high school. They stayed quiet when there was nothing to say, and spoke when there was something to talk about. There was some kind of silent understanding between them. If there was anything that he wanted to know about her, he wouldn't ask because she knew he had alternative ways to find out. It didn't bother her much anymore; that was just Kyoya being Kyoya. If anything, she actually felt much more comfortable now, because there was no pretense involved. Well, at least she _thought_ there wasn't.

She had asked him about it a few days ago.

* * *

_Haruhi enjoyed summer afternoons, when they weren't too hot of course. The days where there was a light breeze in the air were her favorites. It provided her an opportunity to visit the gardens of the estate to pick some flowers for the house. _

_Armed with a pair of shears and a basket, she started on her way to the gardens. It was maybe a fifteen to twenty minute walk there, but it wasn't a bother. It gave her time to her own thoughts, and it was relaxing. Sometimes, she hoped to see someone from the main house, just so she could introduce herself and give her personal thanks._

_She was halfway to her destination when she saw a figure walking towards her. She immediately knew who it was, just from the silhouette-- Kyoya._

"_Kyoya-senpai!" she called as she waved and continued to walk towards him. When they reached each other, she asked, "To what do I owe this visit?"_

"_I was visiting my mother and I saw you," he explained with a shrug. He clearly wasn't going to go into any more depth with that answer._

"_I see... Well, I was on my way to pick some flowers. Care to join me?" she asked as she smiled at him._

_He nodded and they started to walk again. They spent the rest of the way there in silence. When they were well into the garden's grounds, Haruhi finally said, "This whole time, I wondered about you, senpai. I can't help but think that you've got something up your sleeve; something you're not telling me. Part of me wants to believe that you enjoy coming to see me, and yes, I do believe it. But then another part of me thinks that-- no, _knows_ that you don't do something without gaining anything. So what is it Kyoya-senpai?"_

"_You never cease to amaze me with your intuition, Haruhi," he told her with a smirk. After a brief pause, he continued with, "My father has made his wishes for me known, quite clearly, as of late. He wants me to make you my wife."_

_Haruhi stopped dead in her tracks. Needless to say, she was more than surprised by his statement, she was completely shocked into stillness._

_Kyoya had taken a step or two ahead of her before he noticed she stopped. So he stopped walking as well, but he didn't turn around when he said, "I know it's the last thing you want. It just happens to be the last thing I want as well."_

_She relaxed a little, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit offended. He was right, of course, about her not wanting to marry him. Heck, she didn't want to marry _anyone_. Not yet at least. And Kyoya actually wanting to marry her, well that was just preposterous._

"_Me spending time with you makes him believe that I will, that's all," he said and shrugged. "And I won't. Unless... you want me to." He looked over his shoulder and gave her is charming, yet devilish grin. Then he turned his head away. "But I'm sure you don't. So you'll go on to law school after this year, and I suppose we won't speak much after that."_

_Haruhi blinked. She didn't quite know what to say. So this was all just a charade? She suddenly felt very, very stupid._

"_Don't think too much into it, Haruhi. I have this situation taken care of," he told her as gently as he could. Then he turned to her, with another smirk playing on his lips. "And... I'm not lying when I say that I do enjoy spending time with you."_

_So they started walking again. Haruhi picked a basket full of flowers, and then they headed back to the guest house to have some tea._

* * *

The year passed by rather quickly. All the studying and work paid off, and by the end of her final semester she was on cruise control. She had already received acceptances from various law schools, but she still had yet to choose where she would attend. After a few weeks of filing through her acceptances, she filed it down to two schools offering her scholarships-- one in Japan, and one in America.

While it would be great to stay in Japan, study in Japan, and work in Japan, Haruhi somehow knew that there would always be something... lacking. It just wouldn't be her. If there was one thing she knew about herself, it was that she was always looking for something bigger and better. Staying in Japan would help her reach her goals, but keep her from experiencing new things. So when she looked at the two brochures on the coffee table, she picked up the one that read, _Harvard University School of Law_.

And then it was decided. She was going to America.

It took another couple of weeks to settle her enrollment for the fall semester. It had been quite a while since she used the English language, so when she spoke to the Dean via long-distance telephone call, she had a little bit of trouble, but it wasn't too bad. Haruhi decided that she would have to brush up a little bit before she left Japan.

While she was on that phone call, the Dean offered her an early orientation program so she could get used the customs and the on-campus lifestyle, and she would also be able to audit some of the summer courses. It was actually a great idea, though she would be leaving three weeks earlier than she planned. Upon further contemplation, Haruhi decided to go through with it. It would certainly give her the opportunity to experience American culture before she started classes.

Meanwhile, Kyoya continued his visits. She told him about her decision to go to an American law school. His reaction was of utter surprise at first, but his expression soon softened to that of understanding. In some ways, Kyoya understood why Haruhi chose to do this. He knew that she was always up for a challenge, and this was her way of finding one. Besides, there really wasn't much left here in Japan for her to stay.

The evening before she was going to leave, Kyoya visited her for what would be the last time. At least, the last time in this house. She opened the door to an oddly-smiling Kyoya, with a bottle of what looked like shochu in his hand, which he dubbed "a going away present." It was sweet of him.

"Are you all packed?" he asked as they settled themselves in the back sunroom of the house.

"Yes," she answered as she brought in a tray with ice and glasses. She set it on the glass coffee table in front of the couch they were sitting on. She held up the probably ludicrously expensive bottle of shochu.

"Are you expecting we drink this tonight?" he asked. His eyes glanced from bottle to the glasses on the table.

Haruhi shrugged. "I really don't have any more room to pack it. Besides, it would be ruined if anything happened to it during the flight."

He gave her a grin. "It'll be a waste if we don't finish it. And to think, it's a very rare bottle."

Ignoring his empty protest, she unscrewed the top and began to pour it in the glasses over ice. She handed one over to Kyoya, raised her own glass said, "To a new beginning." Then she took a small sip of her drink. "You know Kyoya-senpai, it's such a shame that I haven't been able to thank your father for his hospitality."

"Don't worry about it, Haruhi," Kyoya told her as he took a sip of his own drink. "I'm sure he knows how thankful you are." Then changing the subject he asked, "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"Eleven-forty-five, I think."

"I'll have a driver ready for you by nine-thirty then?"

She nodded in agreement. "Thank you, senpai. And not just for that, for everything. I'm going to... _miss_ this."

Kyoya smiled at her. Though he didn't say it, he would miss this too. He would miss coming to visit her on random days. He would miss walking through the gardens with her. He would miss simply being around her. There was an odd, empty feeling coursing through him, and he flashed back to when he held her in the tub that first night. He remembered how comfortable she felt in his arms. They hadn't had any contact like that since that night, and it was weird how he was remembering that moment now.

"I guess my leaving brings this little charade to an end, huh?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Charade? Haruhi, _this_... may have started out as one, yes, but I've grown to enjoy spending time with you, believe it or not."

Haruhi's eyes darted to the floor. "Sorry. It's just... I'm never sure with you, Kyoya-senpai."

"Haruhi..." he said, setting his glass down on the table. He leaned in closer, took his index finger and tilted her chin up to look at him.

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, the surprise apparent on her face from the small action. All words left him because of those damned eyes. They were thoughtful, intelligent, intuitive, honest... and beautiful. Right now, they actually looked like they were about to burn a hole in his soul.

What happened next was a surprise to both of them.

Kyoya leaned in slowly and planted a soft kiss on Haruhi's lips. When he pulled away, her big, brown eyes met his again... and she was blushing.

"Sorry," Kyoya mumbled as he sat back in his seat.

He leaned towards the table to grab his drink, but Haruhi's hand caught his arm. She was noticeably blushing, and her gaze darted to the floor. Then she said, "No. Don't apologize."

She paused, locked her eyes with his and said, "To tell you the truth, part of me was hoping..._ that_ would happen. So don't be sorry. I just..." Her voice hitched and she took her eyes from his for just a moment before she continued with, "I just want to pretend like there was never another reason for you to be here."

The arm that Haruhi was still holding (more like gripping) came up to caress her cheek, and she slipped her hand off. Then Kyoya said, "Let's pretend then, shall we?"

Then he brought his face to hers and kissed her again. Her response wasn't immediate, but she eventually relaxed her body and went with the flow. The kiss was soft and tender, yet again, but not before too long, Kyoya's tongue caressed Haruhi's bottom lip gently, asking for entrance. Her lips parted breathlessly and their tongues started a dance-- twirling and exploring, finding each other's unique taste. Kyoya pulled her closer to him, his hands cupping her face.

She fell on top of him, her hands gripping his shirt to steady herself. His hands trailed down from her cheeks, down her neck, her arms, and settled on her tiny, yet curvaceous hips. Kyoya's intent was to be gentle with her-- to just test her boundaries. If she didn't want to go further than this, he would understand. He wouldn't _force_ her into anything, even though right now he _wanted_ this. He wanted the feeling of her in his arms back. Somehow, this felt natural-- it felt completely right.

To Kyoya's surprise, Haruhi's grip on his shirt loosened and her hands apprehensively began to slowly unbutton his shirt. She hesitated and pulled away from him at first, looking into his eyes like she was asking for permission. Kyoya grinned at her and placed his lips on hers again as she continued with his buttons. Meanwhile, his hands slid underneath her t-shirt and caressed the silky, smooth skin of her back and his mouth left hers, slowly trailing across her cheek and down her neck. He loved the sound of the sigh that left her lips.

"Pretend..." Haruhi sighed as Kyoya's mouth trailed down her neck, gently nipping where her shoulder met her neck. With his hands caressing her back and his mouth teasing her neck, she felt a pressure build up in her stomach. She managed to free the last button from his shirt and pushed it open, running her hands down his subtly muscular chest and abdomen.

His response was to pull her shirt off. Underneath, she wore a simple white cotton bra. He never thought something like that would look so sexy on a woman, but apparently Haruhi pulled it off. She blushed, as if almost embarrassed, as his eyes roamed her body. One of his arms reached behind her and unclasped her bra, which she let fall to the floor, and Kyoya could feel the pressure in his stomach start to grow, just looking at her breasts; they were small, yes, but they were still beautiful. He took one of her nipples into his mouth and gently sucked, procuring little whimpers from her.

She tangled her hands in his hair, almost holding his head to her chest. "Kyoya..." she whispered as she let her emotions take over. It was the sweetest sound she could ever make-- his name on her lips, without the bother of honorifics. Her hands moved slowly from his hair as her fingertips traced along the sides of his neck, over his shoulders, and down his arms. She wanted to savor this moment.

Her light, gentle touches were driving his libido up and up. Kyoya had been with many women before, but never before had they been able to ignite his desire with a single touch. Though he wanted Haruhi, and wanted her now, he wouldn't rush this. This was too precious of a moment to waste. If he... _cared_... for her, then he wouldn't treat this like those one night stands he was all too familiar with, because for him, Haruhi would never _be_ a one night stand. She would never be a woman he could forget.

In one swift motion, Kyoya secured one of his arms around her waist, and turned her so she was being cradled in his lap. He lifted her up then, and planted another soft kiss on her lips before he started walking back into the main parts of the house. Haruhi looked up at him, the look in her eyes questioning his actions. This time, he kissed her temple tenderly and said, "The bedroom would be much more comfortable."

To this, Haruhi grinned. Like she had learned many years ago, it was quite pointless to argue with what the Shadow King wanted. He'd get what he wanted... eventually, and she wasn't about to disagree with him this time.

He carried her through the living room, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. There, he gently laid her down onto the bed and then bent down to press his lips to hers once more. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, gently tugging him down to lie next to her. His hands roamed her body once more, stopping only to squeeze her breasts and tease her nipples, and then caressing her bare, flat belly.

Kyoya hesitated for a second before he began slowly unbuttoning Haruhi's shorts, and then slid his hand down to her nether regions. Haruhi gasped as she tore her lips from Kyoya as his fingers brushed along the moist spot on her panties. When his fingers moved her panties to the side and started to caress her opening, his mouth began trailing kisses down her neck, her chest, her breasts, and her stomach. His fingers eventually found her sensitive spot, and began rubbing it, eliciting moans and sighs of pleasure from her.

Haruhi instinctively thrust her hips upward, wanting more than just the teasing. Her eyes opened in the midst of their growing haze to see Kyoya pulling down her shorts, along with her underwear, and discarding them on the floor. They met gazes for just a moment, and gave each other a small smile as Kyoya removed his glasses and set them on the bedside table. Just before he could resume his position on the bed, she sat up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

He sat at the end of the bed and just looked at the beautiful woman laying on the bed before him. Though his vision was less-than-perfect, the sight of Haruhi was. Her hair, which was now shoulder-length, was splayed on the pillows. Her face was flushed, her cheeks were a soft pink color, and her lips were swollen from their kisses. The usual distant look in her eyes was replaced by a veil of want and desire. Kyoya stared until the vision of Haruhi etched itself into his mind permanently.

She watched as Kyoya's eyes roamed her body. The look on his face looked somewhat appreciative-- she'd never seen it before. She wasn't able to contemplate it for long, because Kyoya decided to resume their lovemaking. He lifted her legs over his shoulders as Haruhi shuddered. She knew exactly what was coming, and when his tongue slowly lapped at the length of her folds, she couldn't help but let out a moan. When his tongue found her nub, she gasped and thrust her hips upward again. The movements of his tongue alone could have sent her over the edge, if he didn't do anything else soon.

Like he was reading her mind, as it always seemed to be the case, she felt his finger separate her folds just enough to enter her core. She couldn't form words as his finger started moving in and out, and curling at just the right angle to bush up against her sweet spot. All she could do was pant and gasp and let out the occasional, "ah." When he added another finger, she was about ready to burst from all the pleasure she was feeling. His fingers, his tongue... they were an amazing combination, and she was about to reach her climax.

Haruhi's world burst into a million colors then. Her body shuddered as she let her orgasm take over her body, and she let the waves of pleasure float her away.

"Kyoya..." she mumbled as she was winding down.

He was laying next to her now, his head being propped up by his arm and hand. He had a smirk on his face-- that charming, Shadow King one that usually made women melt; the one that Haruhi was usually unaffected by. She had to admit, Kyoya was a handsome man, though. Without his glasses, he was less intimidating, and she had full freedom to gaze into his eyes without the annoying glare.

She rolled onto her side to face him as she returned the smirk. Then she leaned in and kissed him as she traced her fingertips over his shoulder and down his side. As she got to his waist, she noticed that he still had his pants on. She broke their kiss and told him, "I don't think this is fair, senpai. You seem to be terribly over-dressed."

Her hands started to fumble with his belt as he chuckled as said, "'Senpai'? Now, Haruhi, don't you think we're past the honorifics now?"

All she answered him with was her own little chuckle as she succeeded undoing his pants and pulling them off, along with his boxers. As soon as she completed her task, Kyoya managed to flip her back onto her back, pinning her arms above her head. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his hips. Kyoya had a playful smile on his lips as he hovered over her.

"You told me once that I had nothing to gain by sleeping with you," he told her.

"Do you?" Haruhi questioned, her smile somewhat faltering.

He leaned down and kissed her softly then whispered in her ear, "Only you."

She had no time to answer him because that was when he buried himself inside of her. They both moaned out in pleasure as Kyoya slowly moved in and out of her-- pulling almost all the way out, and then plunging himself into her again. It wasn't much sooner until Haruhi began thrusting up to meet his hips, wanting to feel more of Kyoya inside of her. Her legs tightened around him as their pace and their pants increased. Then in one mind-blowing moment, they came together.

They continued this dance over and over again, during the course of the night. They reveled in each other's bodies-- tasting, touching, and enjoying the feel of their skin against the other's. Not many words were spoken in that time, and when they were done, they fell asleep in each other's arms, thoroughly sated and completely exhausted.

* * *

Haruhi was lucky that Kyoya was such a sound sleeper, because when her alarm clock started beeping at five in the morning, she could have sworn it could have woken up the entire estate. Then again, she could have definitely been in a sound sleep herself after the events of the previous night. She couldn't help but smile while replaying the memories in her mind.

She rolled herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to shower. When she was fully dressed, she cleaned up what was left downstairs and neatly folded Kyoya's clothes to put on a chair in the bedroom. In the process, she took a peek at Kyoya, who was still asleep. It was amazing what could get by the guy when he was sleeping. Haruhi had managed to finish the clean-up downstairs and pack the remainder of her carry-on bag without him even making a peep.

It was six o'clock when she decided to call for a car to bring her to the airport. It would be best to leave things like this, she thought. This... whatever she had with Kyoya... probably wasn't a good thing. If anyone in the Ootori family found out about their little rendezvous, Kyoya's father would probably set a date for their wedding, and that was the last thing she wanted. Marriage just wasn't an option in her mind right now.

She watched him as she slept, until the beep of a car horn outside interrupted her reverie. Haruhi sighed as she walked over to the sleeping Kyoya and placed a gentle kiss atop his head-- the only form of goodbye she could think of. He stirred a little, but didn't wake up. She silently placed the key to the house on the beside table, next to his glasses, then she turned and headed towards the door.

When she got to just outside the door, she heard movement from the bed and a sleepy voice mumble, "...love you... Haru..."

Haruhi smiled as she turned to look back at Kyoya. He was still definitely asleep, and his words were of the incoherent sort. Obviously, they weren't words he'd say freely to her. Must've been a good dream.

She continued to walk outside, and as she slid into the black Mercedes that was taking her to the airport, she let out a sigh and asked the driver, "I know it's a bit early for my flight, but I'd like to go visit my dad's memorial. Is that okay?"

The driver nodded in response, and as the car pulled away from the house, Haruhi watched as it eventually disappeared from the view behind her. She leaned back against the leather seat of the car and whispered, "Goodbye, Kyoya."

* * *

_To be continued... (hopefully)_


	7. Author's Note

To my readers:

I'm so sorry about the lack of updating. I do have the next chapter in the works. Unfortunately, school is starting to take a toll on me and I haven't been able to even _think _about writing more (with about a total of 10-15 hours of homework every week). I'm trying my best to finish up the next chapter, but we'll see. Hopefully I won't be leaving you guys hanging forever.

Half of the next chapter is done, I assure you!

Apologies to anyone who's been waiting. I appreciate all the reviews.

~ Stefanie


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